Best Vehicle You Have Owned

[mxz800]

Seeing your 4low reminds me did you see the idiot couple that towed a new Jeep behind their RV? They had it in 4low and off they went it ruined the Jeep.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/39794...-new-jeep-wrangler-by-flat-towing-it-in-4-low

 

[joe98tj]

Well I've only owned 3 but as much fun as I've had in the TJ, my 2014 Power Wagon is what really got me to places I never would have gone. All the fancy options and reliable enough to take me and the jeep cross country without a hiccup make it my favorite. Too expensive for me to keep though..

 

[TWiG01]

I swear there must be something to the old tale that you didn't want to buy one built on a Friday. My brother had an F-150 of around that vintage and he would say it was the worst vehicle he's ever owned. He ended up taking a bath on a trade-in to get out of it and bought a Subaru Ascent.

Yea, I’m sure it’s possible with any vehicle. I have owned three f-150s with three different power trains over the years and have had zero issues with them all. Maybe a little luck involved as well.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Yea, I’m sure it’s possible with any vehicle. I have owned three f-150s with three different power trains over the years and have had zero issues with them all. Maybe a little luck involved as well.

I've owned a few Fords and had ok luck with most of them, but the newest one I owned was a 2002. I had assumed they'd gone downhill like everybody else thanks to the emphasis all the manufacturers seem to be putting on technology. Good to hear not all is lost. He bought his used, too, so maybe it just wasn't taken care of by it's previous owner.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Seeing your 4low reminds me did you see the idiot couple that towed a new Jeep behind their RV? They had it in 4low and off they went it ruined the Jeep.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/39794...-new-jeep-wrangler-by-flat-towing-it-in-4-low

I did see that earlier today. I've never towed a vehicle behind an RV so it's hard to say, but I feel like the drag from the engine braking on a non-running vehicle in 1st gear and 4-low would be noticeable right off the bat.

 

[Zorba]

Strangely, a 1984 VW Jetta Diesel. I drove this vehicle across the country, multiple times, and put over 500K miles on it. In all those miles, I only did routine maintenance, got an average of 52 mpg, and was only left stranded twice. The fuel turned to gel during near zero temperatures once, stopping me in my tracks, and the next time a CV joint gave up on me. Other than that, I never had a problem with it.

That's great! My father and I both had less than stellar experiences with VWs. He had a '77 Rabbit (gas), and I had the aforementioned '96 Passat TDI. We both had similar experiences with the crappy electrics/electronics in them. Both had dash board problems. I've read somewhere - true or not - that the BRAND of battery one uses in some VWs makes a difference between success and major problems. *shrug* Both my Dad's car, and mine were green - wonder if that had something to do with it? *shrug*

Then I hear other stories, like yours, of zero problems whatsoever with VWs. But I'll never own another one, and wouldn't be caught dead in an Audi.

We had an '05 Toyota Matrix. Other than losing the clutch at 125K because the engine had ZERO low end grunt, it was very reliable. Had some chickenshit gasket problem around 80K, but that was it. Bone numbingly boring - it was a "well engineered transportation appliance", but had zero driver engagement. I sold it when I left Commiefornia - I don't think I ever even did a brake job on it.

 

[rasband]

My favorite is either my LJ or a 2007 Honda Ridgeline (as ugly as it was, it was very functional for the light truck usage). The worst was either of the Subarus (a 2002 WRX and a 2013 Impreza) - what pieces of total garbage.

 

[qslim]

View attachment 235157

Yeah I was pretty ticked.

I hit a deer with that thing doing 50, bent the hood up but the radiator & core support were fine. I jumped up & down on the hood to flatten it for visibility & kept on going. Thing was a beaut.

 

[cliffish]

Best driving is my 2016 Subaru Outback that my daughter now has in college. Most fun probably the TJ.

 

[L J]

my '06 LJ

 

[DaveC]

My 2005 MC Sierra 2500 Duramax would be my 'best' vehicle. I bought it new and, aside from standard scheduled maintenance and reupholstering the front seats that just wore with time and use, have had zero issue with it. It'll hit 160k on the clock when we take it camping next weekend and it's still running on the original brakes. It's a nearly indestructible tank that pulls anything I ask it to while the family rides in comfort and style (it's like a damn Caddy inside).

The TJ would be tied with the D-max or a very close second; it's reliable, a blast to drive, goes to beautiful and adventurous places and is a good-looking classic.

We've been pretty fortunate with vehicles, and have never really had a lemon or cursed vehicle, so the 'worst' is tough to nail down. If I had to single one out, I'd say my 2015 Nissan Altima simply because it's cheaply built. Prior to COVID, I drove a LOT for work and needed something reliable and comfortable that got decent mileage. It's probably the most comfortable sedan I've ever ridden in and it get's great mileage, but it's not well-insulated so the road noise sucks and there are some poor design attributes. I've replaced the AC condenser twice due to rocks coming thru the front shroud and taking it out, will soon be replacing my 2nd set of running/fog lights due to the same and the head unit/infotainment system had to be replaced 5 times in the first 2 years (fortunately, under warranty).

 

[Bsulzberger]

I also had a 1974.5 Datsun 260 Z. It has a 2.6 L inline 6 with dual carburetors and a four speed manual transmission. No power steering and a manual choke. It would take skin off you knuckles if you bumped a curb and didn't watch where you hands were. Took some practice to drive it, but it was an easy and fun car to work on. We rebuilt the engine, replace the transmission, and rear end amongst other things.

 

[DaveF]

'best'....

Car - 2006 BMW 335xi - 220,000 miles on that before I got rid of it, no issues. Fast, handled like a dream, comfortable, great bad weather traction with all wheel drive (drove circles around any 4WD SUV or Truck I've ever owned until the snow got more than 6" deep)

Motorcycle: BMW K1600GTL - this thing was insanely fast (straight 6! 160HP) and comfortable with all the bells and whistles... me+rider+gear, averaging 75mph, could get 50+ MPG!

Boat: 2003 Maxum 1750Sr — clocked over 1700 hours on that boat fishing or dragging the kids around on lakes.

Truck: My current one, 2019 GMC 3500 Denali Long bed, crew cab, Duramax.... etc.

Toy: the Jeep of course!

 

[Squatch]

Without a doubt, the best vehicle I have ever owned (and still own) is my '90 Dodge Cummins pickup. Bought it with 70,000 miles on it, and it now has over 420,000 miles on it. Looks like hell, and things are starting to get tired on it, but the ol' boy just doesn't quit. No matter what else I drive, jumping back in that thing is like coming home.

Worst I've ever owned has been a low-mileage (45,000 miles) Subaru Legacy Outback wagon. Was a money pit from day one. With over $8,500 invested in it, I literally gave it away to get it out of my life.

 

[RINC]

63 Turkis Standard. Never let me down.

66 SO-42 Westfalia

 

[LJBean]

Hard for me to pick one. We've been pretty blessed over the years since we've never had any kind of catastrophic failures over probably around 750,000 miles driven (knock on wood). The most reliable is probably a tie between our 1998 Acura SLX (rebranded Isuzu Trooper) and our 2013 Buick Enclave, which is still in our stable.

The Jeeps though, have been pretty stellar over the years (with the exception of the '76 CJ 7 Quadratrac problems - ya long time ago). My '84 Scrambler was bullet proof until it was totaled by a Mustang in '95. My settlement check was about what I paid for it 10 years earlier and after around 150K miles. My '04 LJ now has around 294,000 miles on it with only a handful of issues including 2 cat failures, one starter, and countless batteries, u-joints, etc. as one would expect with that many miles. My son's '15 Cherokee V6 has been trouble free for over 3 years and my '14 Grand Cherokee Overland Ecodiesel has been solid for the 4 years I've owned it (thanks to Green Diesel Engineering tunes) except for the recent EPA and EGR cooler recalls.

Worst cars I've owned were the '74 Ford Maverick in college (fill the oil, check the gas) and '88 Chrysler Lebaron which never was the same after a warped head.

Honorable mention for worst car was our '94 Toyota Camry which, besides being plain ugly and boring, just started to fall apart piece by piece.

 

[Apparition]

Hard for me to pick one. We've been pretty blessed over the years since we've never had any kind of catastrophic failures over probably around 750,000 miles driven (knock on wood). The most reliable is probably a tie between our 1998 Acura SLX (rebranded Isuzu Trooper) and our 2013 Buick Enclave, which is still in our stable.

The Jeeps though, have been pretty stellar over the years (with the exception of the '76 CJ 7 Quadratrac problems - ya long time ago). My '84 Scrambler was bullet proof until it was totaled by a Mustang in '95. My settlement check was about what I paid for it 10 years earlier and after around 150K miles. My '04 LJ now has around 294,000 miles on it with only a handful of issues including 2 cat failures, one starter, and countless batteries, u-joints, etc. as one would expect with that many miles. My son's '15 Cherokee V6 has been trouble free for over 3 years and my '14 Grand Cherokee Overland Ecodiesel has been solid for the 4 years I've owned it (thanks to Green Diesel Engineering tunes) except for the recent EPA and EGR cooler recalls.

Worst cars I've owned were the '74 Ford Maverick in college (fill the oil, check the gas) and '88 Chrysler Lebaron which never was the same after a warped head.

Honorable mention for worst car was our '94 Toyota Camry which, besides being plain ugly and boring, just started to fall apart piece by piece.

I know two people who had enclaves, absolute garbage for them. You were blessed.

 

[Rick Flair]

Have had great luck over the years. But I haven’t kept anything for too long, but I did keep my 1995 F350 crew cab, long bed 4x4, Powerstroke, 5 speed the longest.


Bought it with 120k on it rather cheap. It was puking oil like a quart every 100 miles and the guys mechanic told him it’s a $3000 fix. I gambled but figured the $4500 I paid could be made on parts.

Turns out, loose oil line to turbo. Tightened it up. Put used tires on it, a serpentine belt, and hauled a slide in camper for a few years, then a 25’ travel trailer, and finally a 28’ toyhauler.


I put a 4” exhaust, home built intake, old super chips tuner and changed the oil.


Not a problem, sold it at 190k cause it needed ball joints, 3rd gear was grinding pretty bad and smaller stuff started to pop up. I started with a new department and didn’t have time to work on it.


I should have kept it. Sold for $9k the first three days listed with full disclosure of needed repairs.



Those trucks are hard to come by and if I would have just sunk a few gear into it, it would have 300+k on it and still run. Damnit.

 

[LJBean]

I know two people who had enclaves, absolute garbage for them. You were blessed.

I've been surprised the Enclave has bee so trouble free. I think it depends a lot on which production year (and the "built on Friday" factor). Also surprised with our disappointment with the Camry. Most swear by them, but based on my experience, I'd never own one again.

 

[Kevin Q]

This is easy...2003 Honda Accord. Traded my first TJ for it out of necessity. 105k miles in 5 years and I sold it to my mother in law with 1 payment left. The only thing that car did was run and run well. Oil, tires, brakes, and headlights were the only things I ever did to it. I've taken 3 F150s over 120k and am on my way to my 4th. They've all been company cars.